At Janam Technologies, have gun, will scan barcodes

By GREGORY ZELLER //

They’ve set their phasers to stun at Janam Technologies, where the next generation of gun-shaped XG handheld devices goes where no mobile computer has gone before.

Featuring a palm-pleasing pistol grip and handle-mounted battery pack, the new XG200 looks for all the world like a “Star Trek” ray gun. But instead of blasting Klingons with energy beams, the sturdy wireless device is designed to “enable peak performance in the most demanding work environments,” according to a company statement.

That mostly means warehouses, distribution centers, loading docks and other action-packed environments where spills and drops are likely, lighting is poor, dust is plentiful, barcodes need scanning – often, from distances of 50 feet or more – and pistol-like mobile computers are the weapons of choice.

The XG200 is the new flagship of the Woodbury manufacturer’s XG line, which already includes the gun-shaped XG3 and XG3-ER. Janam Technologies CEO Harry Lerner trumpeted the upgrade’s patented design – specifically, the XG200’s industry-best, 6,300 milliamp-hour battery.

“Elegantly” hidden in the pistol grip, according to Lerner, the easy-access battery pack is designed to facilitate a simple switch-out while optimizing the device’s weight distribution and handling.

“Several years ago, Janam revived the most sought-after ergonomic feature in the rugged, gun-shaped mobile-computing market,” Lerner said. “It is thrilling to build upon our successful, patented version of this feature and offer it once again in a rugged mobile computer that makes no compromise in terms of features and specifications.”

Harry Lerner: “Thrilling” new development.

Among those features and specifications: a 4.3-inch touchscreen (powered by the Android 7 operating system) and Honeywell International’s industry-leading EX25 near/far imager, which according to Janam Technologies delivers “best-in-class scan speed” and “ultra-fast motion tolerance.”

And of course, true to Janam Technologies’ break-it-if-you-can code, the rugged XG200 is built to survive a five-foot drop onto concrete and a “wide temperature range,” while earning an International Electrotechnical Commission IP67 rating – an “ingress protection” grade indicating significant resistance to dust and water.

Throw in a battery capacity that’s about 57 percent better than other devices in its class, according to Lerner, and the latest addition to the XG series warps ahead of the handheld-computer competition.

They’re also singing the new device’s praises at New Hampshire-based Sullivan Beauty, which is among the first end-users to try out the XG200. The busy beauty-supply manufacturer, a third-generation enterprise boasting a wide customer base throughout the Northeast, has already deployed the new device at its bustling distribution center, and according to Distribution Center Manager Roger Demers, the next-gen computer is proving to be “a very impressive mobile device.”

“It provides extremely reliable connectivity within our distribution center and longer battery life than any other device we have tested,” Demers said in a statement. “The XG200 is a valuable tool that has helped increase our productivity and improved accuracy across our supply chain.”

The next-level XG series is the latest upgrade announced in 2018 by Janam Technologies, which this spring released the latest version of its hardy XM mobile computers – a takes licking/keeps ticking line that doesn’t feature the pistol grip, but is stocked with cutting-edge GPS, imaging and WiFi technologies.